Warriors Get `Nice Break': No. 5 Position in Draft

David Steele, Chronicle Staff Writer

Published 4:00 am, Monday, May 18, 1998

The Warriors got the pick they wanted. Now they have to get the player they want, by whatever means possible.

Their worst-case scenario did not come true at yesterday's NBA draft lottery in Secaucus, N.J. -- their number did not come up in the top three, keeping the pick away from the Orlando Magic. Instead, the Warriors will pick fifth overall in the June 24 draft in Vancouver, British Columbia. Only the Grizzlies moved ahead of them in the original draft order, from fifth to second, over the the fourth- place Warriors; the Grizzlies actually were the first team drawn, but because they are prohibited from picking first this year, they were bumped to second.

"This is a nice break. But you have to capitalize on the break," said general manager Garry St. Jean, who represented the Warriors on stage for the unveiling of the results at halftime of yesterday's Bulls-Pacers game.

The Los Angeles Clippers, who finished with the second-worst record in the league, will pick first, followed by the Grizzlies, Denver Nuggets and Toronto Raptors. Clippers general manager Elgin Baylor told reporters afterward that he already knows who he wants, but added, "Other teams would like to move into that position, and chances are we can do something and get our player and something else, also. If not, we'll just take the player we want."

"They (the Clippers) hold the cards," Warriors coach P.J. Carlesimo, speaking from a weekend golf outing in Thousand Oaks (Ventura County). "They can get whatever they want in the draft. If they do not feel strongly enough about it, or if someone out there is willing to give them something better, they can look at it all."

It is safe to assume that the Warriors would like to move into one of the four spots above them if they can, to make sure they get someone they want -- like Arizona point guard Mike Bibby, who fills their biggest need. In their favor is what they have to offer: a high pick and guard Latrell Sprewell. Then again, staying at fifth overall is desirable, too; they likely would get a good shooting guard or swingman, whomever falls to them from among Paul Pierce of Kansas, Vince Carter of North Carolina and Larry Hughes of St. Louis.

No matter what, the Warriors plan to explore all the possibilities. Said assistant general manager Gary Fitzsimmons, who was on hand for the actual drawing backstage before the results were televised: "I don't put that out of the realm in this draft that there are teams in the first four or three picks that feel they can move back if they feel that they can get what they want from a team and still get the type of player that they covet."

And it's even possible that the Warriors could themselves trade down from their spot at No. 5: teams below them probably will want a player at that level and would be willing to offer the Warriors a package of players and picks to do so.

"It's one of those drafts where I don't think anything's set in stone," St. Jean said. "It's going to be a really nice give and take here for a month."

All involved were relieved that the Warriors, because of conditions connected to their trade of Chris Webber to Washington in 1994, did not have to hand their pick over to Orlando. Had Orlando's logo not been in one of the first two envelopes opened by deputy commissioner Russ Granik, that would have indicated that the Warriors would lose the pick. The absence of Washington's in the first envelope, meanwhile, was to have indicated that the Warriors might get the Wizards' pick in the top three, as stated in a related condition of the trade.

However, Orlando's logo was in each of the first two envelopes, causing temporary confusion for the viewers. Only a few people at the drawing knew that Washington's logo was never included, because the Wizards would lose their pick to either the Magic or Warriors no matter what.

"At that point," St. Jean joked, "I would've taken the basketball off the dais and thrown it at Russ Granik's head."

DRAFT ORDER

The order of selections for the first round of the 1998 NBA Draft to be held June 24 at General Motors Place in Vancouver:

a-Vancouver has option to convey pick to Detroit. If Detroit receives pick, it may be conveyed to Philadelphia. b-Pick might be conveyed to Orlando or Utah. c-Pick may be conveyed to Denver. d-Detroit might have option to convey pick to Philadelphia. e-Pick may be conveyed to Golden State or Utah. f-Toronto has option to receive pick.